Barley pilaf with chickpeas

Barley pilaf with chickpeas. A chewy pearl-barley pilaf. Barley is cooked separately so vegetables keep their texture; drain before combining and serve warm.

This recipe has not been kitchen-tested.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 60 min · Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 300 g — canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 150 g — carrots
• 2 g — ground cumin
• 250 g — dry pearl barley
• 100 g — onion
• 30 ml — olive oil
• 1200 ml — water
• 4 g — salt

Method

1. Weigh all ingredients, wash produce and prepare clean equipment before starting. Keep raw meat and eggs separate from ready-to-eat food.
2. Wash produce. Cut firm vegetables into 1 cm pieces, shred cabbage and grate carrots or pumpkin for fillings. Chop herbs separately. Drain and rinse canned pulses; use already-cooked wheat, lentils, potatoes and beetroot where specified.
3. Rinse barley and simmer in the measured water with salt for 35–50 minutes, until tender with a slight chew. Add boiling water if the pot gets dry; drain excess water. While it cooks, prepare the vegetables in a separate pan.
4. Soften the onion in oil for 5 minutes in a heavy pot. Add diced vegetables, garlic, any tomato paste and spices. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring; add leafy greens for the last 2 minutes. Keep canned or cooked pulses aside until the grain is nearly cooked.
5. Combine drained barley with the vegetables and cooked pulses, if listed. Heat together for 5 minutes, stirring gently, until everything is hot.
6. Fold in the listed fresh herbs, chopped nuts and any dried fruit not already added. Taste before adding extra salt. Divide into four portions.
7. Serve promptly. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers at 4°C or below within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C); use within 3 days. Reheat cooked leftovers to 74°C.

Allergen notes

• Barley / gluten
• Check product labels and shared-equipment cross-contact; allergen information is not exhaustive.

Cook’s notes

• An untested editorial home adaptation, not a kitchen-tested formula. Cooking times are estimates: check tenderness and your grain package instructions; add hot water gradually when needed.